Burning Kiss from an Angel
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: "He saw the dead body of the nurse... could feel the blood drenching his hand as his fist met glass... feel the flames licking up his jacket sleeve... the car exploding..." This story is inspired by another fic called Lost and Found by elang4. A twist of fate has Luke find Rory as a baby and raise her as his own. However, those early circumstances were never fleshed out. Read
1. Chapter 1: Sacrificial Lambs

**Chapter 1: Sacrificial Lambs**

St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center was its busiest in the evenings. As dusk fell, the automatic doors would open at seemingly double their normal rate, bringing in the fare of the day. The day's woes - trauma patients or shooting victims. The day's joys - almost exclusively mothers about to give birth.

From his spot mopping the hospital's floors, Luke Danes observed all this and more. You could learn a lot just from observation - the ability to keep one's eyes and ears open and process all around you had served Luke well throughout his life. It was how he had learned to wield even the toughest of hardware tools and even perform some basic carpentry and repairs; his father's guidance had only been a safety net at best. It was how he had learned to cook under his mom, beginning with toast before eventually working his way up to full meals; Luke dreamed of opening up his own diner one day. Luke had become a sports prodigy from observing as well - becoming so talented he was even offered a baseball scholarship at the college closest to his hometown of Stars Hollow, Connecticut.

Unfortunately, that was when his father had been struck with cancer.

His sports dreams gone, and even opportunities for higher education closed, the young Danes had joined scores of others in the white working class. He helped in his father's hardware store, before eventually taking on the job of a janitor here at St. Francis to help his family pay the bills. The task was menial, so there wasn't much learning to be involved. But what Luke _had_ learned was a plethora of valuable medical tips - tips he would call upon when needed to help his ill father. Like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. How to diagnose an over-enlarged chest cavity. Things like that.

Pausing in his work, Luke looked at the clock. 6:36 PM, October 7th, 1984. He hated the night shift, but it was the only one he could do and still manage his job at the hardware store. He'd be here until 6 in the morning, before driving back the half-hour to Stars Hollow...

Just then, the automatic doors slammed open. "We need nurses over here!" someone bellowed. A team of doctors was wheeling in a young woman by wheelchair. Her stomach was bloated, and by the looks of her, she couldn't be much older than a teenager.

Luke wanted to groan. Not another teen pregnancy. Under President Ronald Reagan, the drug culture was beginning to skyrocket. More kids experimenting with opioids, more kids having underage sex and ultimately, more babies being born into broken families. He shook his head. He should not be assuming that about this girl; he didn't even know her! And from the slivers of clothing he saw under her hospital gown, Luke knew the designing was expensive. She probably came from a rich family, to afford such nice clothes. Was she rebelling from strict parents of high society, perhaps? There, that seemed more plausible! The only deductions you could make were ones backed up by evidence.

As the doctors wheeled the teenager back into the delivery room, Luke was struck by her beauty. She had a pretty, round face, jet-black hair and deep blue eyes. Also striking was her strength. Unlike most mothers in labor - mothers usually far older than her - this girl did not make a sound. She seemed unusually calm, in fact, almost unconcerned, as she was hustled in.

Luke just sighed and re-focused on his mop. If that girl was cool and collected now, she wouldn't be once the contractions really started to hit.

A little while later, Luke had progressed into the main entryway of the maternity ward, when a nurse came running up to him. "Hey, you!" she addressed in his direction, without any consideration of proper etiquette or deportment. "Baby mama has lost her cookies in Room 217! Clean-up, now!"

The least she could do was say please. But if there was one thing Luke had also learned, it was that employers had no time for niceties or friendly chit-chat. He was a janitor. He did what he was told.

Luke moved his cart further into the ward, searching for 217. He identified it quickly, not by the number on the wall, necessarily, but by the commotion happening just outside the door. A fairly rich, affluent couple were yelling at the doctors, demanding to be let in to see their daughter. Well, actually, it was the mother who was doing the yelling. "What teenager leaves a note for her mother, saying, 'Dear Mom and Dad, I'm in labor. See you later. Lorelai', I ask you? To hell with this confidentiality stuff. I'm her mother; she's 16 years old and can't be making these decisions on her own! You must let us back there!"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but we're only following hospital policy..."

A man with a pronounced mustache, presumably the hysterical woman's husband, tried to calm the mother down in an almost apologetic, sheepish way. "Emily, please, we don't want to make a scene..."

"It's a little too late for that, Richard!"

Luke maneuvered his cart past them and towards the entrance to Room 217, hoping not to be noticed. That worked out about as well as he had expected.

"She's thrown up, hasn't she? And why's _he_ going in there? Really? You're going to let a filthy janitor man go into my daughter's room, but not her own parents?"

Luke pushed his cart into the room and quickly shut the door. Too much drama! He stopped short as he turned around, nearly stepping in the yellow muck that covered almost all of what floorspace was not taken up by the hospital bed off to one side.

The bed's occupant turned out to be the young girl he had seen wheeled into St. Francis earlier. Wordlessly, Luke began to mop up the mess. The girl watched him silently, groaning against each contraction, hands clutching her stomach.

"Sorry about... the mess..." she finally got out.

Luke shrugged. "It's not your fault. I've cleaned up worse." And he had. Wringing the gunk out into the cart's bowl, he made some small talk. "Lorelai, is it? How you feeling, champ?"

"How did you know my..."

"Your mom is out there screaming for you," Luke offered by way of explanation.

"For me, or at me?" Lorelai queried.

Luke could not help it. He chuckled, amused at this girl's rapier wit. "A little bit of both, perhaps." A pause. "Is everything OK?"

"It hurts," Lorelai moaned. Then, she let out a bloodcurdling scream that nearly burst Luke's eardrum. She winced. "Sorry. This little lady is not making things easy on Mama."

"Congratulations," Luke said as sincerely as he could. "That little girl is going to be lucky to have a mother like you."

Lorelai laughed mirthlessly. "No, she won't. If I know what's coming for both of us when this is over, it would be better if neither of us was here..."

Luke was shocked. He had never heard such a reply before to congratulations on childbirth. Oh sure, they ran the gamut from deliriously happy returns of 'Thank You' to morphine-induced hysterical screams of 'FUCK YOU!' Never had he heard a mother express such... resignation before even having the chance to try motherhood out for size. Luke suddenly recalled the frantic parents standing just outside. He thought back to the anger in that Emily woman's voice, and wondered if his hunch from earlier had been right. Were those parents the controlling type? Then, even more unsettling: would they punish Lorelai for going through with the birth, or worse the little baby simply for just existing? He sure hoped not. Teenage pregnancy was never a good situation for anyone involved, but even the most tragic cases eventually inspired the best rationality and optimism out of those affected. For Lorelai, he wondered if her family would fit that mold.

Luke finally finished clearing up the mess. "Thank you, Mr..." Lorelai left the statement hanging in mid-air.

"Luke," Luke shrugged.

"Thank you, Luke," she said quietly.

The janitor took his leave. "See you around."

He did not know why, but her almost whispered reply of "I doubt it," sent a noose around his stomach. Luke passed by Lorelai's still protesting mother, ignoring her almost improvisational insertion of him into her rants, before taking up a post by the reception desk across from Lorelai's room. He needed to clean this area, anyway. Between strokes of the mop, he would keep an eye on Room 217 as doctors and nurses flitted in and out. Richard and Emily were eventually allowed to go in. Lorelai's screams shook the walls. Eventually, Luke had to move on to a new area, but he nevertheless hoped that girl would be all right...

* * *

5:30 in the morning. October 8th, 1984. Luke was just going back down the halls near the end of his shift, giving the floors a last once-over to see if he had missed any spots. As he approached the 200s section of the ward, he heard voices.

"Now, ma'am, are you sure this is Lorelai's decision?"

For some reason, Luke hid himself around the corner, eavesdropping.

"Of course. Her name's on the paper, isn't it? Adoption is the best course for all this. Besides, she's in a coma right now, and if something happens to her... this is what she would want."

Luke almost gasped. Lorelai had fallen into a coma during childbirth? Would she be all right? She couldn't die; her baby needed her!

The nurse sighed. "I can take her to social services on the way home from my shift. They'll be able to place her in an orphanage or foster home at some point. Any recommendations for a suitable home environment for her?"

Emily's response chilled Luke's bones. "They can do what they like with her. She's nothing to me."

Luke fumed. How dare a woman talk of her own granddaughter that way! Then again, adoption had apparently been Lorelai's decision. And if her strange comment in the delivery room had been any indication, perhaps she thought she was sparing her daughter from an imprisoned existence in a controlling household. But at least the grandmother could ensure the baby be placed in a caring home?

Footsteps came closer. Luke pretended to busy himself with his mop as the nurse came through the doors, carrying what had to be Lorelai's baby in her arms. For just a moment, Luke caught sight of the baby's eyes, peering directly at him from amongst the blankets. Blue eyes... eyes as blue as sapphires...

* * *

At 6 AM on the dot, Luke was in his truck and pulling away from St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. By 6:30, he should be back in Stars Hollow, ready to open up the hardware store for the day. Work till noon before getting a few hours of sleep until he had to leave for the hospital to start the whole damn process over again.

He was on the highway, making great time. The skies were still dark, and the roads were practically deserted. Suddenly, the uniform blackness was pierced by orange flames.

Luke swerved to a stop on the side of the road. Against the guardrail, half-smashed, was a station wagon. The young janitor quickly got out and rushed over. Oh God...

"Hey! Anyone alive in there?" he bellowed. "Hey!" Peering through the window of the driver's side, he froze when he saw who it was.

It was the nurse. The one who had promised to take Lorelai's baby to social services. She now stared with eyes that no longer saw. Luke felt for a pulse. There was none.

There was a roar of fire and Luke jumped away from the car. The baby... was it even still alive in there?

As if in answer, Luke suddenly heard it: the plaintive wails of an infant...

Luke backed along the car to the passenger seats, driver's side. There she was! Strapped in a car seat, thankfully on the side opposite the one now crumpled against the guardrail. Luke desperately tried the door. It was locked! Thinking fast, Luke rammed his fist through the window.

"GAHHH!" Glass shards sliced his hand to pieces, but he ignored the blood. He reached for the straps of the baby's car seat. All the while, he tried to sooth the terrified infant. "It's all right, sweetie, I'm going to get you out of here..."

Luke found the buckle. After practically breaking the thing to get it open, he batted away the straps. Using only his non-injured hand, he lifted the baby free, still wrapped in a blanket, and pulled her through the window. Flames suddenly caught on his jacket sleeve. Luke screamed, shrugging the thing off before stamping out the fire.

Then, he ran like hell.

And not a moment too soon. For just then, the car exploded, throwing Luke to the ground. In that split second of careening through the air, he managed to cushion the baby's body against his own, so that he took the brunt of the impact.

The piercing wails of sirens split the air. Oh no... Luke had to get out of there! Staggering to his feet, Luke stumbled to his truck, climbing into the driver's side and nestling the baby on his lap. Stepping on the gas, he fled the scene.

The baby wailed all the way back to Stars Hollow. Luke would occasionally talk to her, trying to calm her down. "Hey, hey, sssshhhhhh... ssssshhhhhhh... you're safe now. That was some adventure, huh, kid? Huh... Rory?" Luke noticed the name stitched into the blanket she was wrapped in. He wondered if Lorelai had made it herself. And speaking of making it... was she alive? Had she come out of that coma? He didn't know.

But he did know that whatever situation he had gotten himself into, it was a tangled web of death and despair. At that very moment, Luke vowed he would not let it destroy him, and especially not Rory.

* * *

Luke stumbled into William Danes' hardware store. His injured hand was stuffed into his jeans pocket; with the other, he cradled Rory. "Mom! Dad!"

Lights came on in the stairwell leading to their family's apartment above the store. Katherine Danes soon appeared in her bathrobe, followed by her husband. "Luke, what's wrong - Oh my Lord!" she gasped when she saw the sight before her. "Luke, what happened?"

Luke told her the whole story: how he had encountered Lorelai when she came into the hospital, then when he cleaned her room; how he had overheard Emily giving the child up for adoption, then encountering the car wreck on the way back home.

"The whole thing went up in flames, Mom! I barely saved Rory, but I couldn't save the nurse! She was already gone."

Katherine blinked. "Rory?"

"That's all I know about her. It's written in her blanket," and Luke presented the slightly charred cloth, still swaddling the infant. Katherine gingerly took the little girl from his son.

"Ohhhhh... poor thing! Poor thing!" his mother crooned. "And you said she has no one now?"

"No one who wants her, anyway," Luke said sadly. William put a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you going to do, son?"

"I will take care of her," Luke found himself saying. He turned to his father. "Will I have to adopt her?"

William bit his lip. "We will have to go to social services and adopt her there properly. But Luke... we have to hope they don't ask questions of how you found her. Or what you know. It could jeopardize your job at the hospital."

"We will worry about this in the morning. For right now, Luke, you are to keep going back to the hospital and work and act like nothing is wrong. Wait until this all quiets down." his mother advised.

Luke nodded... then jumped when Rory started suddenly wailing again. _And she just calmed down, too..._

Luke held out his hands. "Here. Give her to me." Katherine passed Rory off, and Luke headed upstairs to his room. Flopping down on his bed, he rested Rory on his chest. Softly stroking her back, he sighed.

"What am I going to do with you, little one?" Within moments, both baby and janitor were asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Becoming Danes

**Chapter 2: Becoming Danes**

"WAHHHHHHHHHH! WAHHHHHHHH!" The piercing cries of Rory yanked Luke from a deep sleep.

"Uhhhhhhh... what's wrong?" Luke whined. Sliding out of bed, he picked Rory up and began to rock her. No change. He tried bouncing her. Still nothing. Oh! He figured he knew what she wanted!

As if on cue, his dad suddenly came into the apartment. "What's the matter with her?"

"I think she wants milk," Luke expressed. Then, he realized. "Wait... what time is it?"

"Half past noon. I let you sleep as long as I could. I'm on lunch break. Wait here; don't bring Rory downstairs. I'll get some milk and bring it back up." William disappeared, and a few minutes later returned with the milk, complete with a bottle. As soon as Luke offered it to Rory, she latched onto it and began to suckle. William watched both tenderly and sadly.

"It shouldn't be like this... she needs her mother's milk first..."

"Well, we don't have that option, Dad. I only know the mother's first name, Lorelai. And she might even be dead!"

"Dead? How do you know?"

Luke told his father what he had overheard in the corridor. William squared his shoulders. "We have to sort this out. I'll close the shop up early and we can go to the Social Services Center in New Haven." New Haven was about 10 minutes south of Stars Hollow.

* * *

About 4:00 PM, Luke and William closed up shop. Katherine brought Rory down as soon as the coast was clear. Father and son then climbed into Luke's truck and drove to New Haven.

The Social Services Center was practically dead when they arrived, so the Danes were given top priority in line. A woman led them back to her office. As Luke and William followed her, they whispered to each other.

"What if she asks how I found her?"

"Make something up! Just don't say it was a car accident; it's probably still making the rounds on local news!"

The social worker sat behind her desk, and Luke and William collapsed into chairs across from her. "Now, can you tell me how you found this child?"

 _Damn it! Out of the gates_ , Luke thought.

"She was left on our doorstep. Of our family's hardware store," William lied before Luke could think up a yarn.

"Abandonment, then. Was there any note left behind by the mother?"

"No," William said automatically, knowing a different answer would likely require proof they didn't have.

"Only this blanket," Luke explained, offering it to her. As soon as he did, though, he wished he hadn't, for he suddenly noticed the slight charring still on the cloth. It must have been luck, or fate, or something of both, for the social worker did not notice this very minimal charring, creased and folded so that it was hidden by the desk as she ran it through her fingers.

"Rory..." she mused. Luke tensed, wondering if she might get suspicious.

"That's all I know about her. And it's what I decided to call her. Is there a problem?"

"No," the social worker shook her head. "I can get adoption papers written up for you right away." She left, returning soon after with the necessary documentation. "Put the child's name, and then sign on the lines indicated."

Luke looked to his father, who nodded. He knew what he had to do. He wrote Rory Danes for the child's name, before then placing his own under the heading labelled FATHER. At the heading MOTHER, however, Luke paused. Should he put Lorelai's name?

No. Too risky. And if he didn't have a last name for her... Luke left it blank.

William signed as a witness, and after some seals were stamped on, Rory was officially theirs.

* * *

Only after the adoption was made legal did the Danes present the newest member of the family to their customers. When asked how Rory came to them, Luke and his parents gave the same story they had given the social worker: Rory had been abandoned on their front stoop.

Luke continued to work at the hospital, acting as though he didn't know anything. The death of his nurse colleague caused quite a few whispers. Luke waited for inquiries into the fate of the baby, but none came. He wondered if anyone had witnessed the nurse leaving the hospital, or knew there had been a baby with her.

All the same, Luke went to his janitorial shift every evening very nervous. Sooner or later, something might surface regarding Rory. And indeed, when Rory was a few weeks old, police officers came to St. Francis to conduct an investigation on the accident and the possibility of a missing baby. Luke nearly threw up when he saw the half-melted remains of Rory's car seat in the officers' possession. Thankfully, no one pointed in his direction, or even suspected him.

Meanwhile, William Danes' announcement that he was turning his hardware store into a diner in honor of his son gave Luke good enough cover to abruptly quit his job at St. Francis without raising eyebrows. Back in Stars Hollow, the Danes would live above the apartment as renovations took place right beneath their feet. Four months later, in March 1985, Luke's Diner was officially opened for business.


	3. Chapter 3: Rory's Beginnings

**Chapter 3: Rory's Beginnings**

The diner had been open only a month, but it was already generating more revenue than the hardware store and Luke's old janitor job put together.

Luke took most of the orders, while his father ran the cash register and his mother did the cooking. Occasionally, Luke would go into the back to help his mom. At one corner table, 6-month-old Rory was placed in her high chair, gripping a spoon. All during the lunch rush, Luke had kept his eyes on her at all times, while also trying to get near enough to his daughter to feed her.

"Oh, Lucas, could you please give me a refill on that lemonade?" Miss Patty suddenly intercepted Luke as he tried to serve Rory for what seemed like the fifth time.

There was a sudden bang as Rory whacked her spoon on her high chair. "DADA!"

Luke spun around, shocked, as the entire diner fell silent. Babette clutched at her heart. "Her first words! Oh, bless her!"

Luke smiled. Not only had Rory spoken for the first time, she had also called him her Daddy. He turned to Miss Patty. "Patty, your request will have to be taken in the order received. I believe my daughter has been waiting for her lunch."

And he leapt for Rory's high chair, finally getting to feed her at last. When he met his Dad's gaze at the counter, the elder Danes had tears in his eyes.

* * *

It was a beautiful summer's day at Luke's diner. In fact, it was the Fourth of July, so all businesses were closed for the holiday. Most families in Stars Hollow would be preparing home-cooked barbecues on this special day.

Luke was doing the same for his parents and daughter. Rory was just a few days away from turning 9 months old. By now, she was an expert crawler, scooting around the grass on her hands and knees. Smiling, Luke turned his attention back to the hot dogs on the grill for only a minute, when his mother screeched:

"LUKE! SHE'S WALKING! RORY'S WALKING!"

Indeed, Rory had managed to push herself into a standing position and was trying to toddle over to her father.

"William, get the video camera!" Katherine ordered her husband. William sprang into the garage and came back with it rolling in seconds. Luke knelt in the grass and stretched out his arms.

"Come on, Rory! Come to Daddy!"

Rory took a tentative step, two, then a faster third and fourth. She was nearly to Luke before her legs gave out and she pitched forward, Luke catching her just in time. "You did it! Rory, I'm so proud of you!" Luke cuddled her close, not noticing his parents exchange tender looks.

* * *

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Rory! Happy Birthday to you!"

Luke presented the cake he had baked himself to his 1-year-old daughter. Katherine helped Rory blow out the candles. As the girls began to dig in, William took his son aside.

"October 8th?"

Luke shrugged. "It's the day I found her, Dad."

"Yes, but is it the day she was born?"

"In all likelihood? Probably." Luke replayed the events of that night from exactly a year ago over again in his mind. He remembered that the birth had taken many hours. Going along on his rounds that night, he had heard Lorelai's screams of childbirth for hour after hour after hour. By the time Emily and Richard had been ushered inside, it was well past midnight. Though Luke did not know the exact time, he was fairly confident that Rory had been born sometime early on October 8th.

"In that case, we shall treasure it as we do any other birthday in this family," William promised.

* * *

It was time for bed in the Danes household, but 16-month-old Rory was having none of it.

"Come on, sweetheart... it's time for bed," Luke soothed, rocking Rory in her crib. He had built the structure himself, with some assistance from his father. It gave him great pride to know that the daughter he had fallen in love with was sleeping in something crafted from his own two hands. The famous Rory blanket was draped over the girl's tiny body.

"Luke, why don't you play her that CD of musical show tunes you got her?" Katherine suggested. Luke sighed and tried it. He didn't even know if Rory had a preference for that kind of music, or even what her music preferences were at all; he had seen the record in the Stars Hollow music store and figured it was mostly soft ballads that would calm his baby girl.

The musical theatre playlist worked just about as well as Luke had expected, which is to say it didn't work at all. Rory just kicked her feet and wailed through every song.

Luke sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and ran his hands over his face. "This isn't working. I'm taking that CD out..." As he did, however, his hand bumped the dial, switching over to the radio.

"And now, coming at you from WYZT, it's an oldie, but a goodie from The Bangles... _'Hey now, Where you going with that load of nothing in your hand / I said, Hey now, all through this green and pleasant land / I'm going down to Liverpool...'_ "

As if by magic, Rory actually quieted down. Her cries became happy coos within minutes. Luke looked to his parents, perplexed. "She likes The Bangles?"

William laughed. "Must. I've never seen her take to music like that before. Would you look at that! She's asleep!"

Luke quickly made a note to purchase every Bangles album he could get his hands on. But the discovery made him suddenly wonder: Did Lorelai like this band? Was it possible that she played Bangles songs for Rory while she was pregnant with her, Rory hearing them in her womb? He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling there was more to this mysterious revelation than Rory's sudden change in demeanor had even let on.


	4. Chapter 4: Christmas Princess

**Chapter 4: Christmas Princess**

As Rory grew older, she graduated out of using a crib. Soon, she was sleeping in a trundle bed at the base of Luke's king-size mattress. Luke knew that Rory was always more at peace whenever she was near him.

So it was one morning - well, not just any morning. It was Christmas morning, a fact that Luke was made painfully aware of when a little body belly-flopped onto his.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

"Rory... go back to sleep..." Luke moaned to his 4-year-old preschooler.

"But the sky is waking up! I can see the sun! So I have to wake up! So we have to open presents!"

Luke smirked. In a flash, he had sprung from underneath the bedclothes, seized his daughter and was tickling her madly. Rory screeched with delight. "Very well, you little monkey, since you insist." Luke swung Rory about in his arms as he carried her downstairs from the apartment and into the closed diner. He stopped short when he saw his parents already under the Christmas tree.

"You're already up?! It's 6:00 in the morning!" Suspicious, he looked down at his daughter. "Rory Danes..."

"Don't look at her, Luke; we got up ourselves," William explained. "We figured we'd have to, to beat her to it!"

Luke chuckled and set Rory down. She scampered over to the tree, and began to poke around at her presents. She received some new books from her father; Luke had learned very quickly that his daughter loved to read. She had begun reading unusually early too, and was already advancing to books beyond her age level.

William gifted his granddaughter with a new bookcase he and Luke had carved themselves. When Rory realized it was all hers, her eyes filled with tears. She turned to Katherine. "Grandma... No..."

"There was no arguing with them," Katherine shrugged with a smile.

For her part, Rory had made her father a card. For William, she got... a bottle of Tylenol. "Anybody who's sick needs medicine," she explained. "This will make the pain go away." William knew damn well mere Tylenol could not rid him of his cancer, but the gesture still made him emotional anyway. Katherine got a necklace from Rory, which Luke had helped his daughter pick out.

The family spent all day inside, laughing and talking. Luke cooked pancakes throughout the day, shaped like Mickey Mouse - Rory's favorite. It was well past dark by the time Rory stifled a yawn.

"Bedtime, young lady," Luke smiled. Scooping her up, he carried her to the room they shared.

"Daddy? Since it's Christmas, can I sleep with you tonight?" Rory asked so sweetly that Luke's heart melted.

"All right." Father and daughter climbed into bed together. "I'm guessing you also want a Christmas story?"

"Yes. I want to hear the Princess and Her Lost Baby!" Rory requested eagerly.

Luke dove right in. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess in a faraway kingdom. She discovered that she was about to have a baby."

"Me!" Rory squealed.

"Yes, you," Luke laughed. "When the baby was born, the kingdom had little time to rejoice before an evil dragon stole the baby from the princess. When the dragon tried to eat the baby, he was killed in a plume of fire that the gods - in their displeasure - sent down from on high. A knight on his horse happened to be riding by and rescued the baby from the fire and the dragon and spirited her away to his kingdom. Now, the princess did not know any of this. She spent her days in a tower mourning for her missing child. One day, the beautiful princess will escape the tower, find her baby and they will live happily ever after!"

"Daddy? Will Mommy find me someday?" Rory whispered.

Luke paused. "I don't know, darling. But I hope so."

Rory nestled back into the pillows with a content smile. "Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, precious." Luke kissed her forehead tenderly and snuggled in next to his daughter.

Now, the story of the Princess and Her Lost Baby was of course based on how Luke found Rory. Except Rory did not know that. She merely suspected that she was the baby and her mommy was the princess trapped in a tower, since she had no Mommy. Rory wondered if her mommy and her daddy had been in love. She liked to think so. Daddys and Mommys were meant to be together. With that, Rory drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: The Beautiful Princess

**Chapter 5: The Beautiful Princess**

Lorelai Gilmore did not have much for a 23-year-old fresh out of college. But it was just enough for her to finally get out from under her domineering parents' shadows and strike out on her own.

The young woman decided to lay down her roots in a little town called Stars Hollow, Connecticut. It was about 30 minutes from Hartford - far enough away from her parents to be independent, but close enough to them in case she... no. She would get on without them! Find a job, make her own income. She did not need any funding.

Besides, it also meant she could begin her search for the precious creature she had lost seven years before...

* * *

 _FLASHBACK: When the little pink bundle was placed into Lorelai's arms, she fell instantly in love. The baby had some of her best features: her nose, her chin. And those eyes... eyes as blue as sapphires..._

 _"Lorelai. Lorelai Leigh Gilmore." It was not the most imaginative naming in the world, but perhaps that was due to the mother being whacked out on drugs. After filling out the birth certificate, the nurses came to take the baby to the nursery and to clean her._

 _"Goodbye, Rory," Lorelai smiled, wrapping her in the blanket she had made for her daughter and kissing her forehead tenderly._

* * *

If only she had possessed a crystal ball. Lorelai would never have let Rory out of her sight.

* * *

 _FLASHBACK: When Lorelai went into the nursery hours later, she approached the crib supposedly containing her daughter to find it... empty. "Rory? Rory?!" Lorelai went into hysterics, made even worse when the nurses explained that she had, somehow and for some unfathomable reason, put her own daughter up for adoption. Lorelai sank to the floor, drowning in tears. All that remained of her child was a tiny wristband containing Rory's name, her weight at birth (7 pounds, 8 ounces) and her time of birth (October 8th, 1984, 4:03 AM)._

 _Eventually, Lorelai felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. "Get up. We're going home. It's best for everyone."_

 _Lorelai gasped as the full reality of what had happened hit her in the face. "_ _You_ _did this?!"_

 _Emily's silence spoke volumes. "I HATE YOU! YOU HAD NO RIGHT! NO RIGHT! SHE WAS MY DAUGHTER! MINE!"_

 _Emily and Richard had to carry Lorelai, literally kicking and screaming, from St. Francis..._

* * *

That had been seven years ago. And still Lorelai had not given up searching. She still had the wristband though, from where she had pocketed it and kept it hidden from her parents - her own little talisman. After attending college at Harvard, Lorelai had searched there and in the surrounding areas. Moving to Stars Hollow today meant she could begin her search in another direction.

Seven years of sleepless nights, wondering if her daughter was being beaten, or abused. Was she being mistreated? Or was she loved? Where was she?

Lorelai's first stop was at the Independence Inn. She approached the front desk, and was quickly directed to Mia Bass, the owner and manager of the Inn.

"I was hoping I could apply for a job here? I have a degree in Hospitality Management from Harvard."

Mia was very impressed by these credentials and after an impromptu interview, hired Lorelai as a a bang maid. She even offered the young woman the old potting shed out back as a housing option, free of rent.

Lorelai was a very hard worker. She made the best out of the potting shed, but pored almost all of her energy into cleaning the rooms of the Inn. Mia wanted to reward Lorelai for her service. So she picked up the phone and called an old friend...

* * *

Luke got the call, of course. Even though it was the middle of the day, during the Diner's rush hour. After obtaining the promise from his mother that she would watch Rory, Luke got into his truck and drove up to the Inn.

The occasional handy man job was actually a welcome opportunity. Luke felt closer to his father, who had passed away from cancer just the year before, whenever he got to work with his tools and hands.

Mia Bass, an old family friend, directed him to the back of the Inn, towards the potting shed. Luke set to work at once installing a proper bed, tiling for a shower/bathroom in one corner, and even a water heater and generator rigged to the outside. Apparently, one of Mia's new employees would be living here temporarily.

By the time Luke was nearing the end of his work, it was closing time. He checked his watch, hoping to finish up quickly and get home to cook Rory dinner. As he worked away at the generator's wiring, he heard someone approach from behind.

"What are you doing?"

Luke turned to see a young woman, probably no older than college-aged, standing in a maid's uniform. She had jet-black hair, a pretty round face and deep blue eyes. Luke didn't know why, but she seemed strangely... familiar...

Luke cleared his throat. "Mia called me up to renovate this place for you. At least now it's a decent home."

The young woman peeked her head inside the shed, inspecting. From the look on her face, Luke could tell she was amazed by what she saw. "Wow! Are you from Extreme Makeover or something?"

"Not exactly. Just your average diner owner turned handyman."

The young woman grinned. "I'm impressed. A man who can build and cook? You must be quite the catch!"

Luke laughed at her obvious flirtations. "Hardly. Though I do have one daughter."

"Oh. That's nice." A small pause. "Well, thank you, Mr..." Her voice trailed off.

"Luke," Luke shrugged.

"Thank you, Luke," she said quietly.

"Lorelai!" Mia's voice suddenly called from the back of the Inn. "Come inside! Sookie has dinner ready!"

Lorelai raced inside with a backwards wave to Luke, who was now frozen where he stood. Did Mia just call the girl... Lorelai? Was it possible... No. It couldn't be! Had to be a coincidence! Lorelai was a common enough name.

Wasn't it?


	6. Chapter 6: The Planets Align

**Chapter 6: The Planets Align**

The next day, Luke was working the morning shift of his diner when the Lorelai girl came in.

"Coffee!" she bellowed without any preamble.

Luke furrowed his brow at her. "You'll have to wait your turn."

"But I need coffee now! Mia said you were the best place to get it!"

"Join the rest of the town's opinion. Now get in line!" Luke brushed off.

Lorelai plopped herself at the bar, and gave him a smile that clearly masked the want for something. "What's your birthday symbol?" she asked suddenly.

Luke glanced up. "Uhhh... Scorpio. Why?"

Lorelai grabbed a pen from the counter and began to scribble on a piece of paper containing horoscopes. Then she pushed it across to Luke. He read what she had written. "A woman needs her coffee today. Give it and she'll go away." Well. That was certainly tempting. Tempting enough for him to prepare her request out of order. He plunked the coffee down in front of Lorelai. "There."

Lorelai took one sip and either looked like she was about to fall over or had just experienced an orgasm. "Oh my God! This is the best coffee I've... I am never drinking anything else but your coffee ever again!"

Luke couldn't help it. He laughed. "First-time customers are on the house."

Lorelai grinned in pleasure at him. "Since you've been such a good boy," she cooed. "Mia's having a bonfire night up at the Inn this evening. Want to come?"

Luke hesitated. He always made sure he was in for the night at a decent hour, so he could tuck Rory into bed. But perhaps his mother could...

Just then, his mother came down with Rory in tow. "We're off to school!"

"All right. Have a good day at school, princess!"

"Bye, Daddy!" Rory grinned hugely, before following her grandmother out the door.

"Your daughter is just adorable!" Lorelai marveled.

Luke smiled after Rory skipping down the street. "The love of my life and the light of my love! She saves me!" And it was true. He had no idea where he'd be without Rory in his life.

"So... see you tonight at the Inn?"

Luke thought about it for a moment, then finally nodded. "Yeah, OK. I'll be there."

Lorelai grinned big at him. "Great! See you then." She left without noticing that Luke was doing a frantic double-take. Was it just his imagination...

Or did Lorelai and Rory have the _exact_ same grin?

* * *

The bonfire was already blazing by the time Luke came up the crest of the hill that housed the Independence Inn. Upon meeting Lorelai's gaze, she smiled and waved at him. Luke nearly jumped out of his skin. Was he seeing things? Rory waved at him like that...

"All right, all right, everybody! Settle down!" Mia ordered. "It's time for stories! I'm going to toss around this bell from the front desk. Whoever catches it gets to tell the most interesting story from their life. It can be happy, sad, whatever. Now let's get some hands in the air!" Palms reached skyward as Mia threw the bell into the crowd. The first person to catch it was Lorelai.

"OK," Lorelai began. "The most interesting thing to happen in my life was... when I became a mother at age 16. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. It would have been easier if I didn't throw up all over my hospital room floor beforehand..."

BAM! All at once, Luke flashed back to that night seven years ago, when he had been cleaning the room of that teenage mother. _Wordlessly, Luke began to mop up the mess. The girl watched him silently, groaning against each contraction, hands clutching her stomach._

 _"Sorry about... the mess..." she finally got out._

 _Luke shrugged. "It's not your fault. I've cleaned up worse."_

"But... then I lost her. My mother put her up for adoption," Lorelai continued.

BAM! Another flashback, this time from the maternity ward: _"Now, ma'am, are you sure this is Lorelai's decision?"_

 _For some reason, Luke hid himself around the corner, eavesdropping._

 _"Of course. Her name's on the paper, isn't it? Adoption is the best course for all this. Besides, she's in a coma right now, and if something happens to her... this is what she would want."... The nurse sighed. "I can take her to social services on the way home from my shift. They'll be able to place her in an orphanage or foster home at some point. Any recommendations for a suitable home environment for her?"_

 _Emily's response chilled Luke's bones. "They can do what they like with her. She's nothing to me."_

Back in the present, Lorelai continued. "When I got to the nursery, all that was left of my daughter was this wristband." She pulled it from her pocket, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at it. "It's all I have of her. I named her... Rory..."

The flashbacks now deluged Luke in a torrent at the sound of that name. _He saw the dead body of the nurse... could feel the blood drenching his hand as his fist met glass... feel the flames licking up his jacket sleeve... the car exploding..._

And over it all, like a broken record stuck on a loop, he could hear Emily's voice. _"They can do what they like with her. She's_ _ **nothing to me**_ _..._ _ **nothing to me**_ _..._ _ **nothing to me**_ _..."_

The memories were drowned out by Rory's cries...

Luke opened his eyes. He was breathing hard, as if he had been running. Sweat was pouring down his temple and into his eyes.

"Luke?" He spun in a panic as someone touched his arm. It was Sookie, the Inn's chef. "Luke? Luke, what's wrong?"

Luke didn't answer. He slowly backed away, before bumping into someone: Michel, the concierge. "Watch where you move, Luke!" he scolded in his haughty French accent, but Luke was already stumbling away. "Where are you going?"

No one else seemed to notice Luke's departure, so enthralled were they by Lorelai's story. "I've never heard anything like that," Mia shook her head. "You poor dear... can you imagine?"

"So what happened next, Lorelai?" someone called out.

"I had to go back to school, then to college, but I've never stopped searching. Now, I'm here in Stars Hollow. Mia took me in, Luke fixed up the potting shed..." She did a double-take, realizing the handsome diner owner was no longer there. "Luke?"

* * *

Now Luke really _was_ running, down the hill and into town. He left his truck parked on the hill, the keys still in the ignition. He didn't stop running until he burst into the closed, quiet diner.

Leaning against the counter, he tried to get his heart rate to calm down, but his body would not obey.

There was no other explanation: Lorelai was Rory's mother. Too many details fit, too much of her story and his clicked into place, for it to be a coincidence. Hell, she and Rory had the same grins; the same wave! I guess his occasional wondering if she had survived that coma was now answered. And she had been searching... for seven years... just like the beautiful princess in Rory's favorite bedtime tale.

Headlights in the window suddenly made him turn around. There was his truck. And Lorelai was now getting out of it, swirling his keys around her finger. He let her in.

"Hey! Where'd you rush off to in such a hurry? And without your truck?"

Luke could barely look at her. Her blue eyes... his daughter's eyes... "I just... I needed some air," he mumbled.

Lorelai shrugged. "We all need that sometimes. Lord knows I have." She suddenly began hopping from foot to foot. "Damn! Call of nature. Can I use your bathroom?"

Luke listened to the noises upstairs from the bathroom; his mother was giving Rory her evening bath. But there was the spare bathroom...

"There's a small toilet just beyond my..." he stopped himself from saying Rory's name just in time. "...my bedroom. Cross through it; door on the other side leads into it."

Lorelai smiled at him gratefully before dashing up the stairs. Luke crossed behind the counter, putting his head in his arms. From upstairs he heard the flushing of the toilet, and then footsteps crossing his room. When he looked up, he saw Lorelai coming down the stairs with the oddest expression on her face, as if she was in a trance.

"Lorelai? Are you OK...?"

She crossed to the counter and suddenly helped up a very familiar piece of cloth. "Where did you get this blanket?" she demanded, her voice shaky. "Where?"

Luke looked down to see the streetlights from outside illuminating the stitches of Rory's name. His throat suddenly became very dry. "I... I found it. There was... a car accident. Burning, on fire. October 8th, 1984. I heard the cries of a baby inside; I barely got her out before the whole damn vehicle exploded. I recognized the driver, but she was dead; she was taking the baby to social services. For... adoption..."

Lorelai stared at him, stunned. "How do you know all that...?" Then it clicked, and her eyes widened. She recognized him. "It was you. _You_ were the janitor who cleaned up my room the night my daughter was born."

Luke gave a guilty little nod.

"Luke? Rory's ready for bed; she wants to say goodnight..." Katherine came down with Rory beside her. Luke spun to stare at them almost in terror. He could have died right then. Upon seeing the little girl identified as Rory, Lorelai sent the blanket tumbling to the floor. She was transfixed; she couldn't take her eyes off Rory.

Katherine noticed. "Lorelai, why are you looking at her like that?"

"Like what?" Lorelai almost croaked. "I'm not looking at her any special way. It's like how I imagined... since the day that she... 7 pounds, 8 ounces!... Lorelai Leigh Gilmore..." the last came out almost like a squeak before Lorelai fled from the diner, in tears.

Rory looked totally flummoxed. Katherine was just as perplexed, immediately rounding on her son for an explanation.

Luke gave her a look that clearly said _Later_ , before scooping Rory into his arms and carrying her to bed. He barely had lain her in her trundle bed and given her a kiss on the forehead before jumping into his own bed and falling into a fitful night sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: The Truth

**Chapter 7: The Truth**

As soon as his alarm went off the next morning, Luke leapt out of bed. Careful not to wake his daughter or mother, he tiptoed downstairs and prepared the diner for business. Hearing his mom moving about upstairs, he scribbled down a note saying he was going out and that he should be back soon. Then, Luke leapt into his truck and headed to the Inn.

It was Saturday, so the Inn would probably still be busy, though less than during the weekdays. Entering the lobby, Luke approached Mia at the front desk. "Where's Lorelai? Is she on her shift?"

Mia shook her head. "Lorelai called in sick. She won't leave the potting shed."

Luke made a beeline for the potting shed. He banged on the door.

"Mia, I told you. I'm sick!"

"It's not Mia! Please, Lorelai! Open the door!"

"Go away, you... you..."

"You're gonna have to speak up, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore!" Luke snarled.

That got her. The door to the potting shed suddenly whipped open. Lorelai was in simple pajamas, her hair was a mess. Nevertheless, she looked a vision. "Child stealer. That's not my name. That is the name I gave to _my_ daughter - the daughter you stole!"

Well, that was an interesting tidbit of information. Luke should have suspected that Rory might be an abbreviation for Lorelai. And he finally had to a last name to go with the first: Gilmore...

"I did _not_ steal Rory!"

"Oh, really? Did my mother just throw her at you then, and you went along with it?"

Remembering Emily's berating of him that October night, Luke let out a bark of laughter. "Do you honestly think your mother would have just handed a baby off to a filthy janitor?" And he told her his memories of the things Emily had said about him. It made Lorelai take pause.

"I guess not. But then how...?"

"I need you to sit down. I couldn't tell it properly last night, but I can now." And Luke was off, explaining everything from after he had left Lorelai in her hospital room after cleaning it. "I overheard your mother saying to a nurse that you were putting Rory up for adoption; had given that consent before you went into a coma -"

"That is _not_ true! I did not consent to anything! She must have forged my signature!" Lorelai interrupted.

"Let me finish! At the time, I didn't think anything of it because I didn't know you. But what made me take pause was your mother telling that nurse that Rory meant _nothing_ to her!" He got choked up at this, his eyes filling with tears. "She didn't even have the _decency_ to make sure Rory was put in a safe home!"

"Later, on my way home from my shift, I came upon a car against the guardrail and in flames. I recognized the nurse who had taken Rory because she had passed me down the hall earlier. She was dead. I knew Rory must still be inside. I broke into the car, pulled her from her booster seat and with her blanket. I bloodied my hand and caught fire in the process. Just as I fled, the whole car exploded. I drove away before the cops could show up. I've been taking care of Rory ever since."

Lorelai had fallen quiet over the course of Luke's tale. "You saved her life..." she breathed. A moment of silence, and then she asked, "Did you adopt her?"

"I did. I went to the Social Services Center in New Haven. When they asked me how I found her, I lied and said Rory was left on my parents' doorstep, because I knew the car accident would still be in the news and I didn't want the cops on my tail. I signed the paperwork. Then I kept going back to the hospital to work and acted like nothing was wrong. I quit after a few weeks."

"Why didn't you come and find me?" Lorelai suddenly demanded. "If you had Rory, why didn't you try looking for me?"

"I didn't know who you were - only your first name! And I had no _idea_ where you lived! Also, from what I overheard your mother say, a part of me suspected that maybe you never woke up from that coma; I thought you might be dead! I was obviously wrong about that, because here you are."

Lorelai again fell silent, pondering over what Luke was telling her. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Would you like to see her?" Luke's question made Lorelai snap her head up in surprise. He smiled sadly. "You're her mother. I promise I won't keep Rory from you. I never would."

Lorelai gulped back a sob before nodding eagerly.

* * *

Rory was still asleep in her bed when Luke and Lorelai arrived in the room that father and daughter shared.

"She's been sleeping in today," Katherine explained, before leaving the trio alone and going to check on the diner's customers.

Upon seeing her daughter sleeping so peacefully, and unparalleled in her beauty, Lorelai covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob. "Oh, God... she's so beautiful... and so _big_! Can I... can I just touch her?" Lorelai sat on the edge of the trundle bed, enthralled, tentatively running a hand over her daughter's hair. "This girl... this gorgeous, amazing girl... is my child..."

Luke watched the sight with emotional satisfaction. A part of his life had finally found closure. Mother and daughter were back together again after seven years. But there was still one question he felt he needed an answer to...

"Lorelai?... Who is Rory's father? Her _real_ father?"

Lorelai took a moment before answering. "His name is Christopher Hayden. We'd known each other since we were Rory's age. Dated in high school. I lost my virginity to him. Then, I became pregnant. Chris's parents wanted us to get married to save face. He agreed to it; I refused. Rory was born; I lost her. Chris left for California after graduation. The rest is history."

"Did he ever ask about her? Rory?"

"We never spoke of it. I know I couldn't. But it's not like he was concerned that she had been put up for adoption." Lorelai began wiping tears away from her face before they could fall on her little girl's cheeks.

Luke tentatively lay a hand on Lorelai's shoulder, kneeling next to her. He could not imagine going through what she had to for seven years. "I'm sorry." The crying did not abate. "You're angry, aren't you? You were wronged."

"Yeah, I'm angry! At my mother for what she did. Chris for not caring. But... I'm also happy... for her..." She gazed at Rory lovingly. "I used to have nightmares, thinking she was being beaten or abused. When in reality, she was growing up in a loving home, with a loving father..." She began to cry harder. "What you've done for her - saving her life - taking care of her - Thank You!"

Overcome, Lorelai suddenly kissed Luke on the lips. She pulled away almost immediately, her eyes wide and the look on her face scandalized. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm... I'm sorry..."

Luke recovered from his shock, smiling in understanding. He dared to peck Lorelai on the cheek. "It is I who should be thanking you. For bringing her into the world. Rory has saved my life in more ways than one, more than you will ever know. She's given it meaning... and joy... Thank You. For making a perfect little creature."

Lorelai was floored by Luke's passionate testament to her daughter's effect on his life. Also, the way that he was staring at her so intensely...

"I have to go." She hastily stood, moving to the door, before turning back. "May I...?" the question died in her throat.

Luke smiled gently. "You may come here and see her as often as you like. Rory needs her mother."

Lorelai smiled gratefully. "Luke? For what it's worth, you're the best father I could have _ever_ hoped for Rory." And she left, Luke staring after her in abject wonderment.


	8. Chapter 8: Mother and Child

**Chapter 8: Mother and Child**

Lorelai arrived at the Diner early that next Sunday morning. Luke was already up, making his daughter breakfast on the only day the diner was closed. Smiling, he let her in. The two adults conversed in whispers.

"Have you told her yet?" Lorelai asked, her anxiousness almost like that of a small child waiting to open Christmas presents.

"No. I thought we'd break it to her gently. First let the two of you be around each other as friends. We don't want to overwhelm her." As soon as he said it, Luke wondered if it was his place to. Rory had another parent now, which meant he (in some ways) had a new partner in all of this. "That is, if..."

Lorelai put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I think that's an excellent idea."

"What are you two whispering about?" Rory whined curiously from her table.

Luke turned around and presented Lorelai to Rory at last. "Rory, this is my good friend, Ms. Lorelai. Can you say hello?"

Rory shyly ducked her face back into the picture she was coloring. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

Entranced, Lorelai sat down with a tender smile. "You must be Rory. Your Daddy's told me quite a bit about you."

For some reason, Luke felt rather hot at the endearing way Lorelai called him Rory's 'Daddy.' As if he really was responsible for her existence; as if he and Lorelai had made her together... no, stop it. Focus.

Rory just shrugged. "I like to read."

"I've heard that," Lorelai beamed. "Are you reading anything currently?"

"Oliver Twist."

Lorelai turned back to Luke in shock. _'Oliver Twist?'_ she mouthed. _'She's_ _seven_ _!'_ Luke could only give a helpless shrug, a smile forcing its way onto his lips.

Lorelai tried again. "That's a really hard book. I'm impressed! Do you like music?"

"Uh-huh," Rory nodded.

"What kinds? Do you have a favorite band?"

"The Bangles."

Lorelai's mouth fell open once again, only this time, her eyes filled with tears. Luke quickly pulled her into a corner to talk privately. "What's wrong?"

"I... I used to play A-side cassettes of The Bangles... when I was pregnant with her..." She sniffled.

Luke only smiled. "I knew it!"

"What?"

"When Rory was a toddler, she wouldn't fall to asleep to anything other than The Bangles. I must have bought out the whole Stars Hollow Record store of their stuff!"

Lorelai clapped her hands together, enraptured. "That's adorable!" Having pulled herself together, the young mother returned to her daughter.

"What are you coloring?"

"Sesame Street."

"May I join you?"

Rory nodded. Luke watched the exchange from the counter. He nearly got teared up himself, because from his vantage point, he could see it:

Lorelai and Rory tilted their heads _exactly_ the same.

* * *

Lorelai spent the whole day with Luke and Rory. Finally, Luke insisted Rory get to bed early. "You've got school in the morning, little lady."

Lorelai paused at the door to the bedroom, watching as Luke told Rory her favorite bedtime story:

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess in a faraway kingdom. She discovered that she was about to have a baby. When the baby was born, the kingdom had little time to rejoice before an evil dragon stole the baby from the princess. When the dragon tried to eat the baby, he was killed in a plume of fire that the gods - in their displeasure - sent down from on high. A knight on his horse happened to be riding by and rescued the baby from the fire and the dragon and spirited her away to his kingdom. Now, the princess did not know any of this. She spent her days in a tower mourning for her missing child. One day, the beautiful princess will escape the tower, find her baby and they will live happily ever after!"

"When, Daddy?" Rory suddenly asked. "When will the princess escape the tower? When will my mommy come find me?"

Luke glanced back to Lorelai, his smile letting her know that he felt it was time. "Well, Rory... I have a new update in our story. The princess - your mother - has escaped her tower. Now, she lives in a little cottage at the edge of the wood" - a sneaky reference to the potting shed in back of the Inn. "She's never stopped searching for you. And I know for a fact that she loves you very much."

"Who is she?" Rory pressed.

Lorelai stepped forward, blinking back tears even as she gave a beaming smile. "Me."

Rory spun to her, staring in amazement. "Ms. Lorelai?"

The tears now streamed down Lorelai's cheeks. "Hi, sweetie. I'm your mother."

There was a momentary tableau as mother and daughter regarded each other. No words were spoken, yet something passed between them - a mutual understanding of some common destiny.

Rory suddenly leapt out of bed and threw herself into Lorelai's arms. The embrace happened almost in slow motion, before Lorelai finally pulled away and cradled Rory's face in her hands.

"I can't believe it's you!" Lorelai sobbed.

"I can't believe it's _you_!" Rory echoed, before burying her face back into Lorelai's dress. "Mommy..."

Lorelai let out a choked sob, raising her eyes to Luke, as if she had misheard. "Did she just...?"

Luke could only nod. Rory pulled out of the hug at last, jumping up and down.

"Does this mean you're going to live with us?"

Lorelai blinked. "What are you saying, baby?"

"Are you going to live with me? And sleep with Daddy? How did you and Daddy meet? Were you and Daddy in love? Mommys and Daddys need to be together!"

Luke practically choked on his tongue. He'd always known his daughter was brilliantly perceptive, but he didn't think she would assume... He and Lorelai stared at each other, flushing, wondering how to navigate this.

"Mommys and Daddys don't necessarily have to live together, sweetie. And right now, I don't think I have enough money yet to live with you and..."

"Right now, your mom is trying to adjust to living here in town," Luke jumped in.

Rory frowned. "Oh. But she will live with us someday. Won't she, Daddy?"

"We'll talk about it," Luke promised his daughter delicately.

Despite the excitement, Rory quickly leapt into bed and fell asleep. Luke looked to Lorelai. By the look in her eyes, she clearly understood the conversation they needed to have... but it would be at another time.

"Call you tomorrow? At your lunch hour?"

Lorelai nodded in agreement. Daring to kiss Rory's hair, she slipped down the stairs and out of the diner.

* * *

It was two months or so after the Gilmore girls formally reunited. Lorelai stood in the back of the diner, shaking as she held an envelope in her hands.

Luke, her new boyfriend, pecked her cheek in encouragement. "Open it, babe."

Lorelai finally did so, and read the DNA test results. After a moment, she let out a scream of excitement. "She's mine! She's mine!"

Laughing the couple embraced. "There's something else," Luke told her, before presenting documents he had recently received from the Stars Hollow courthouse. Lorelai gasped as she saw a certificate bearing the name of Lorelai Leigh Danes across the top.

"I figured it was the right thing. You named her. And Rory approved of it when I asked; she wanted to match with her Mommy. But she can still be Rory to us. Also..." and here Luke was more tentative. "I can have them change her last name to Gilmore. If you want."

Surprisingly, Lorelai kissed his cheek, even as she shook her head. "No. She's been a Danes for as long as she can remember. You're her father; you raised her. I think this is just right, all things being equal."

Luke kissed her happily. "I love you."

"I know."

* * *

A year later, Luke and Lorelai officially got married. Rory was the prettiest flower girl Stars Hollow had ever seen. After the honeymoon, Lorelai moved into the apartment above the diner. After rising the ranks at the Inn and receiving heftier paychecks, the couple pooled their assets enough to buy their family a proper house on Maple Street.

Not everyone gets everything they want in life, so the saying goes. But all in all, Luke Danes felt he had done pretty good. He had achieved a beautiful family - perhaps in an unconventional way, but that was what made it all the more exciting.

He just never expected he would find it on a both dark and fiery night on a stretch of Connecticut road. He never expected to receive a burning kiss from an angel.

* * *

 **A/N: That's it! I decided to wrap it up because I have more ideas coming your way. Also, the later circumstances in the elang4 story are so well done! However, I did deliberately diverge from the twist that she creates regarding Rory's parentage... THAT, my dear readers, is another story idea for another time.**


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